Downe House Sport

SPORT achieving excellence for all

Downe House is very supportive and encourages you to achieve your ambitions.

Milly Hine, UVI Sports Scholar

Introduction

The benefits of sport and exercise in our daily lives cannot be underestimated. Regular sport helps to underpin a healthy lifestyle and develop girls’ team and leadership skills. At Downe House, we are fortunate to have a tremendously dedicated team of sports specialists who encourage, coach and train the girls in a wide variety of skills and sports at all levels. They have the benefit of excellent facilities and a number of girls compete at county, regional and national levels but for others, their enjoyment will be at House or School level. Achievement and participation in all sports are highly valued and a girl’s success, whether it is a personal triumph or a national one, will be celebrated equally.

I hope that the following pages will give you a sense of the variety of sporting experiences and opportunities that are open to the girls here. There really is something for everyone and we believe in sport for all. Learning to win and lose graciously, learning to develop the positive mindset necessary to overcome failures and challenges are skills that will certainly support the girls as they grow and will play an invaluable part in helping to develop a girl’s confidence. Nothing can be more important than this.

Mrs Emma McKendrick, Headmistress

The Downe House sporting ethos

At Downe House, we ensure that every pupil has the opportunity to take part and compete in many sporting activities, whether this is for their House, the School, county, region or country. We always encourage and motivate pupils to aim high and achieve their very best. It is also hugely important that all pupils have the knowledge and understanding necessary to maintain a healthy fitness level and the confidence to participate in a sport that they enjoy.

Downe House has a strong ‘Sport for All’ ethos. Our aim is to enable every girl to reach her potential in whatever sport she enjoys and at any level. For some girls there is the chance to receive mentoring and specialist training, attend local clubs and compete at county or national level. Others simply enjoy the health benefits and camaraderie of sport and fitness.

On Saturdays we expect over 350 girls to take part in inter-school competitions; this is complemented by a busy fixture list on Wednesday afternoons. With 100% match participation at junior level, every girl entering the School gains a taste of technique, practices, discipline and teamwork.

Mrs Lydia Rayne – Director of Sport

Curriculum sport

Physical Education lessons provide an introduction to a wide range of activities including lacrosse, hockey, netball, athletics, tennis, swimming, squash, gymnastics, dance and fitness, volleyball, basketball, badminton and cricket to name just a few, and the PE Department is fortunate to have many highly-qualified teachers who have excelled in their sport and competed at national or international level.

PE is compulsory for all year groups from Remove to Upper Sixth. Curricular and extra-curricular time is devoted to team games, individual sports and holistic activities, such as yoga and dance to encourage a healthy lifestyle and a life-long involvement and enjoyment in physical activity.

A comprehensive fixtures and event calendar, including a very valuable inter-house programme, encourages pupils to enjoy competition at lots of different levels and showcase their talents.

Mrs Lizzie Broyd – Head of PE

Scholarships and Exhibitions

Each of our Scholars and Exhibitioners is allocated a mentor depending on her main sport and team. The mentor maintains an ongoing flow of communication and the girls are encouraged to discuss targets, training and injuries with their mentor.

The scholarship programme is designed to educate girls about maintaining an effective work and training balance whilst encouraging them to perform to the best of their ability. This is achieved by regular group meetings, external speakers, scholars’ fitness sessions and a personalised strength and conditioning programme. This is designed and adapted by the scholarship team. The programmes are based on the girls’ fitness testing results, their main sport and any previous or existing injuries.

11+ Awards are valid for two years and Awards at 13+ are valid for three years (with a review at the end of each year). Sixth Form Awards are valid for two years. Award Holders are expected to maintain a suitable standard of endeavour and achievement and fulfil their duties, which include:

• Representing the School in matches.

• Maintaining a high level of performance and attitude at all times.

• Leading by example and promoting sport throughout the School.

• Being prepared to participate in a range of sports when required.

• Meeting with their mentor regularly and attending group sessions when offered.

• Following a structured and progressive strength and conditioning programme.

Going the extra mile

Sports tours

Downe House provides the girls with opportunities to visit a variety of countries on sports tours with the expectation that this will give them the invaluable experience of competing against different opponents. In some cases they will also benefit from the expertise of international level coaches. In recent years there have been successful tours to the USA for lacrosse, the Netherlands for hockey, Spain and France for netball, as well as an annual tennis pre-season tour to Spain or Portugal.

A holistic approach to sport

Downe House offers a varied sports programme in the hope that all girls will find an activity that they enjoy and will continue to participate in after they have left School. We have found in recent years that the culture has positively changed with many of the girls more focused on becoming healthier and fitter.

The gym is also used by girls who are suffering from injuries. We are fortunate enough to have a physiotherapist who is able to provide rehabilitation programmes that the older girls can follow in the gym. We also follow a progressive “return to play” programme with the girls, where the emphasis is on what they are able to do in PE and games lessons, not what they are unable to do.

All girls are actively encouraged to compete in at least one team sport with the opportunity to play in matches to suit their ability.

Co-Curricular sporting opportunities

The Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) Department is a busy place, organising all manner of activities to extend curriculum study, including sports. The team can also assist in setting up new activities for girls with a particular interest or talent.

DHDance

Dance is hugely popular at Downe House and at least two different forms of dance are taught onsite on a daily basis. Ballet lessons run daily and girls can be entered for grades or standard exams.

• Ballet (Cecchetti)

• Modern

• Tap

• Contemporary

• Hip-Hop

Outdoor sporting activities

For adventurous souls who have a burning desire to challenge themselves, Downe offers the chance to participate in the full body and mind workout that is climbing as well as outdoor sports such as sailing. Pupils can work towards the National Governing Body awards or simply have fun learning new skills.

• Climbing (indoor)

• Sailing

• Canoeing and kayaking

• Cycling

Club sports

To cater for the competitive sportsperson, the Co-Curricular team is able to work alongside the PE Department to ensure that the girls can extend their training by joining local or regional clubs such as:

• Swimming

• Volleyball

• Netball

• Athletics

• Hockey

• Gymnastics

Wellbeing programme

As part of its wider holistic programme, Downe House also offers activities to balance energetic sports with wellbeing and relaxation such as:

• Yoga

• Pilates

• Mindfulness

Equestrian

Downe has excellent links with Wellington Riding and Hampshire Polo School where the girls receive world class tutelage for their chosen equestrian activity. They can participate for the sheer enjoyment of riding or with a goal of entering NSEA Competitions in dressage, show jumping or eventing.

• Horse Riding

• Polo

Spotlight on sport

Lacrosse

Downe House has an excellent reputation for lacrosse. We have had major success at the National Schools Championships with many of the age groups. We field four Senior teams and ten Junior teams who compete on a regular basis with the aim that as many girls as possible can participate in fixtures. Our girls play representative lacrosse at county, territorial and national level.

The quality of coaching is first class. The First Team have been winners of the Nationals four times this century and have always been placed in the top ten. Teams in all age categories are regular winners of the Berkshire County Tournament.

Hockey

Hockey is played throughout the School and specialist coaches have achieved excellent results. A full fixture programme is established with both Wednesday and Saturday matches for all age groups. We are regular winners of the West Berkshire Leagues in all age groups and are also very competitive at the county tournaments. A strong link has been established with Berkshire Hockey, where many girls attend the Junior Development Centre in a specific eight-week coaching programme. From this many have gone on to represent Berkshire and then the South of England.

Netball

As one of the major sports, netball is enjoyed by many of the girls, with teams from A to E. Matches are enjoyed at every level –inter-house and inter-school with a high level of participation at junior and senior level. Specialist coaches focus on practices, movement skills and match tactics to elevate the standard of play and get the best out of every player. Some girls also choose to join the local netball club in Newbury to give them a wider variety of match play experience and the opportunity to mentor younger girls. Players from the England team have also visited to give the girls first-class coaching.

Athletics and Cross Country

Downe House has an outstanding reputation for athletics and are regularly placed in the top ten in the Athletics Track and Field Cup National Competition out of approximately 1000 schools.

The athletics and cross country teams are District winners.

We have also had great success in the multievents with girls representing Berkshire in the national competition. Opportunities to compete are hugely important in developing an athlete’s competitive spirit and mental toughness and Downe supports the girls in all aspects of competition. Some girls also choose to join Newbury Athletics Club to increase their level of training.

Racquet sports

Tennis is an all-year-round activity at Downe. The standard of coaching is exceptionally high, taking full advantage of the experience of our coaches, many of whom have played on the professional tennis circuit. This is reflected in the standard of play and popularity of the sport at the School. Girls embrace and enjoy the challenge to learn advanced skills and develop their game.

Downe House regularly competes in the National Schools Championships and has reached the final stages twice in recent years. Five full-time tennis coaches give over 200 private lessons per week all year round.

Squash is part of the Physical Education lesson rotations for all Lower School girls and, in the Upper School, girls may choose to take part in squash lessons and team-training sessions. The School squash league is proving very popular with staff and girls alike. The strength of the squash coaching programme is such that we regularly place in the top four at the National Schools Squash Championships.

Winter sports

Downe House participates annually and with great success in the British Schoolgirls’ Races, the premier schoolgirls’ ski racing competition held in Flaine, France which offers girls a valuable opportunity to have the experience of competitive ski racing. The teams compete in both Slalom and Giant Slalom races. In 2019, the team scooped a record number of gold, silver and bronze medals across all age groups, with one girl winning gold in the U14 Slalom, U14 Giant Slalom and the U14 Combined.

Swimming

Swimming is widely enjoyed by girls from all age groups. In lessons, as well as stroke technique, girls are introduced to water polo, diving, synchronised swimming and life saving. All girls have the opportunity to gain their Royal Life Saving Society Life Support 1 Award (first aid) in the Lower Fifth. We take part in weekly inter-school fixtures, as well as competing with success in the GSA South Gala and

the Independent Schools Relays Gala, which we host. We have been ranked in the top six in the country in the Secondary Schools Team Championships and have had team and individual success in the National Biathlon Championships. Team swimmers can attend training sessions in the evenings and early mornings and the top swimmers also train with Newbury District Swimming Club. Of course, there are free swim sessions during the week for any girl to improve her fitness or for recreation.

Dance and Gymnastics

Dance is a passion for many of our pupils. Ballet, contemporary, tap and hip-hop are part of the dance programme so girls can progress through the RAD grades or simply enjoy dance for recreation through the Co-Curricular Activities programmes. Gymnastics is hugely popular at Downe House, with a strong programme to cater for all abilities. The inter-house competition allows the girls to have a taste of competitive gymnastics without the pressure of a high-level environment, whilst the team has opportunities to compete against other schools in a more formal setting. Our elite gymnasts have the opportunity to develop their skills with ‘KD Gymnastics’ under the guidance of the Director of Coaching.

Spotlight on sporting excellence

We are extremely fortunate to list amongst our girls, alumnae and staff an increasing number of talented sportspeople whose dedication has been rewarded by great achievement in their chosen sports at local, national and international level. Here, we celebrate just a small number whose sporting legacy will continue to inspire fellow and future pupils to remain or become involved in sport during their time at Downe House and beyond.

Anna Neville

UPPER SIXTH SPORTS SCHOLAR - LACROSSE

Which sports do you participate in and at what level? Whist I’ve always tried to participate in most sports that Downe House has to offer, and I am fortunate to play in the U19A tennis and netball teams, lacrosse is my main focus. I was honoured to have been chosen to captain the 1st team this year.

Please tell us about your sporting achievements to date: Currently, I play for England U19A. Having won Home Internationals in 2019, I have again been selected to represent them in 2020. In addition to occasionally playing for the England U23 team, I also captained the U19 England Lions at the 2019 Canadian World Cup Festival.

How do the staff, facilities and environment at Downe House help you to develop within sport?

What stands out for me is the support I have always received from the staff. The Scholarship Programme is phenomenal in terms of working to get the best out of each individual scholar. The Strength and Conditioning team not only create bespoke programmes for each individual depending on their needs but also deals directly with my physiotherapists when I’m injured to develop specific exercises to assist my recovery. I have also received invaluable one-to-one lacrosse training with Mrs Gaunt, a former Welsh International, which has been transformational to my game.

What are your sporting ambitions for the future?

My ambition is to represent England Seniors at lacrosse, and ultimately to play in the Olympics if lacrosse is readmitted as a medal sport.

What is your most treasured sporting memory from School? Apart from the moment I got appointed as Head of Sports at Downe House, probably my most treasured moment was captaining Downe House 1st Lacrosse Team to victory over Oxford University 1st, one of the leading university women’s lacrosse teams.

How have you developed in sport at Downe House? My appreciation and understanding of team sports is probably the most important thing I have developed during my time at Downe House; appreciating that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and that through hard work, commitment, and importantly having fun as a team, there should be no regrets.

Finally, please give us your words of advice for any new girl thinking of coming to Downe House:

One thing I always prioritised was, wherever possible, ensuring I would play in Downe House matches ahead of playing for outside netball and lacrosse clubs. Sport has been such an important part of my time at School, not only for personal and team achievements, but also the lessons it has taught me about being a team player. However, without a doubt, most importantly it has been an incredible way to build lifelong friendships with girls at Downe House and from other schools, whether playing in the A team or the E team.

LACROSSE

It has been an incredible way to build lifelong friendships.

Keep going to support your teammates as they will be some of the best friends you will ever have.

Rebecca Gaunt

DOWNE HOUSE TEACHER OF PE – LACROSSE

What sports are you involved with at Downe House? I teach lacrosse, netball, fitness, spinning, gymnastics, swimming, rounders, athletics and tennis. I coach the First and U13A Lacrosse Teams, Netball U12E & F and the Athletics Squads.

My proudest sporting moment in the Sports Department has to be winning the National Schools Lacrosse Championship in 2007.

Please tell us about your sporting achievements: I am in the Welsh National Lacrosse Team and have competed at the Lacrosse U19 World Championships 2003, Senior Lacrosse World Cup 2009, 2013 and 2017 and five European Championships, from which I have two gold and two silver medals.

What were your sporting ambitions for the future when you left school?

To play in a Senior World Cup!

What is your training regime and how does it fit in with the other aspects of your life? I train in the gym/outside at least five times per week and continue to work on my stick skills in between lessons when I can.

Finally, please give us your words of advice for any aspiring elite/ professional sportspeople: Training is tough and there will be times when you want to give up. Keep going to support your teammates as they will be some of the best friends you will ever have.

LACROSSE

Charlotte Agnew

ALUMNA (DH

EQUESTRIAN EVENTING

Which sports do you participate in and at what level? Equestrian eventing from lower levels with the young horses to 4* (highest level), having been selected twice as reserve for the Senior GB Team.

Please tell us about your sporting achievements to date: Team GB Junior Europeans whilst in Upper Sixth at Downe, followed by Team Gold and Individual 4th at the Young Rider Europeans two years later. The following year I completed my first Badminton and entered the UK Sport World Class Development Programme. In 2012 we placed 5th in our first 4* event and we were selected as reserve for the 2013 GB Senior Team. Since then, my eventing career has continued to blossom competing regularly at Badminton as well as Burghley.

When you were at Downe House, what sports did you participate in? I played hockey and captained the 2nd Team at one point. I was a bit of a late starter at lacrosse, so as much as I enjoyed it I didn’t really pursue it with much vigour! Of course, I was always riding.

How did the staff, facilities and environment at Downe House help you develop within sport? Sport was always encouraged at Downe without it being forced upon us. I was always encouraged to continue developing my equestrian skills.

What were your sporting ambitions for the future when you left Downe House? I don’t think I ever imagined I’d be doing this! Downe House definitely helped me develop confidence so that when I left I could become ‘myself’ and be brave enough to stretch myself.

What is your most treasured sporting memory from School? Hockey matches away were always great fun and I enjoyed the responsibility when I was Captain.

What are your future plans/aspirations within sport? I would like to win a gold medal at the Olympics - twice! Horse power is crucial to success in my sport and I am gathering some young stars of the future in order to increase my future Olympic medal hopes. I have set up a Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) company to buy, produce and sell young horses and hope that one might carry us to the dream. Thanks to my wonderful investors, I now have two horses with Tokyo (2020) potential which is very exciting. If anyone would like to be involved with owning a future star, please do get in touch!

Finally, please pass on your words of advice for any aspiring elite/professional sportspeople at Downe House: Stay focused, positive and never give up.

Stay focused, positive and never give up.

EQUESTRIAN

Work harder than the person next to you.

Katie Mok

Which sports do you participate in and at what level? I play lacrosse and do triathlons as well as being a current member of the Hong Kong National Women’s Team.

Please tell us about your sporting achievements to date: I have represented Hong Kong in the National

Women’s Lacrosse Team, competing at the Women’s Lacrosse World Cup 2013 in Canada and the Asia Pacific Championships. I have also completed the Spartan Race, an extreme multi-discipline obstacle race. I played in the Women’s Lacrosse World Cup in 2017 held in the UK which was an amazing experience. I am also an amateur triathlon racer (Olympic distance).

When you were at Downe House, what sports did you participate in? Lacrosse, athletics and swimming.

How did the staff, facilities and environment at Downe House help you develop within sport? The (then) newly-built sports hall in the last two years of my time at Downe was a great addition to training and match practice. It provided a place for us to train more in the winter and allowed us to play more sports which were less weather-dependent. Nothing beats the camaraderie achieved over the years from living, training and travelling with the girls.

What were your sporting ambitions for the future when you left Downe House? After I left Downe, I continued to play lacrosse for the University of London team which comprised of students from the various universities of London such as UCL, Imperial and Queen Mary’s. I’ve always been into fitness and have worked out and played sport, and eventually committed to lacrosse again when I moved to Hong Kong in 2011. I now coach for the Development Academy at the Hong Kong Lacrosse Association and will continue to participate in more triathlons.

Finally, please pass on your words of advice for any aspiring elite/professional sportspeople at Downe House: Work harder than the person next to you and know your short-term and long-term goals. You’ll always have good and bad days at events and it’s what you learn and take from each experience that counts and makes you a better athlete.

LACROSSE

Tony Riddle

DOWNE HOUSE TEACHER OF PE AND DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD SCHEME COORDINATOR – HOCKEY AND TRIATHLON

What sports are you involved in at Downe House?

I take hockey team practices but also help with lax, spinning, fitness, swimming, cycling, athletics, and rounders. There are times when girls want to take on other challenges like cycling home to London so it has been fun getting involved in these adventures as well.

Please tell us about your sporting achievements to date: My latest challenge was to finish a 10km swim which I thoroughly enjoyed and I have also completed an Iron Man distance triathlon. I represented New Zealand in indoor hockey and was named in the New Zealand university field hockey team. I was also the New Zealand Pole Vault U18 Gold Medallist.

What were your sporting ambitions for the future when you left school? I wanted to compete at the highest possible level I could and get involved in more adventurous sporting events to explore the incredible countryside.

How have you developed your sports skills/talent since leaving school? The foundation of what I learnt at school allowed me to apply skills to different sports once I left school. I tried a variety of new activities from canoe polo, lawn bowls to multi-sport adventure racing. Through being actively involved in many sports, event management and university, I have learnt about many aspects about the physical activity industry but it is teaching that I find the most rewarding.

What is your training regime and how does it fit in with the other aspects of your life? I find that a flexible and varied training regime works best around school and family life. I know how important it is so try to do something every day – even if it means a 6.00am swim or late night cycle.

What are your future plans/aspirations within sport?

My main aim is to stay fit and healthy as that in itself makes being involved in different events way more exciting, fun and enjoyable.

Finally, please give us your words of advice for any aspiring elite/professional sportspeople: Discover what you can do. Do more than you believe! Work hard and celebrate your successes however big or small. Work hard, expect failure and learn from it. Work hard and embrace the challenges you face training and competing. Work hard but most importantly keep exploring ways to ENJOY working hard.

It gives me great pride to see that the majority of the School is playing competitive sport at weekends across so many disciplines, ages and abilities.

HOCKEY & TRIATHLON

Danna Cheung

UPPER FIFTH - VOLLEYBALL

I live by the idea that you get back out how much you put in.

Which sports do you participate in and at what level?

I play volleyball for my club, Newbury Volleyball, and also regionally for South East Volleyball. I was recently selected for England Volleyball U19 Women. Before that I was the youngest player on the U16 Hong Kong Volleyball youth squad. I also play netball and tennis and compete in athletics at School, specialising in javelin for athletics.

Please tell us about your sporting achievements to date, both in School and out? When I was younger, being selected to represent Hong Kong at volleyball at an international tournament in China was such a great moment. When I was selected for England Volleyball it was also very special. There were twenty-five girls at open trials and only four of us were selected. In School, I’ve loved competing at javelin at Berkshire Schools athletics competitions.

How do the staff, facilities and environment at Downe House help you to develop within sport? The School has great facilities and everything is so close. I love the gym and the extra training sessions (evening netball and early morning fitness) which fit around my day. All the Sport staff have been so encouraging and every time I’ve needed to make special requests for volleyball, the School has been really flexible. I’m also grateful to CCA who helped me find a local volleyball club when I started at Downe House. They

organise taxis and chaperones each week so that I don’t have to worry about the logistics of volleyball training at all.

What are your sporting ambitions for the future? I’d love to be selected for the NEVZA Championships in Finland in October 2020 which is for Northern Europe. I’m always interested in trying new sports; there are always new clubs at Downe House and I’d love to try badminton and basketball.

What is your most treasured sporting memory from School? I loved House Games. Competing for AGS and getting into the team spirit was so special. Inter-House netball was a particular favourite and I loved that there was a mixture of years on each team. How have you developed in sport at Downe House? I’m grateful to Downe House for giving me the space and time to go out of School to compete and train. A highlight has also been my Athletic Development sessions on Friday with Miss Williams who has tailored the programme to things I want to improve for volleyball – such as jumping.

Finally, please give us your words of advice for any new girls thinking of coming to Downe House: I’d say you need to embrace opportunities. I am involved in lots of music at School too; I play percussion as well as all the other sport! It can be scary coming to a new School but I live by the idea that you get back out how much you put in. Find a way to keep yourself motivated.

VOLLEYBALL

Katie Quarterman

HOUSE TEACHER

–

Please tell us the sports you lead and/or teach: Squash, netball, lacrosse, athletics, tennis and rounders. I coach the Netball First and Second Teams, U12, U14 and U16 Teams. Along with Mrs Gaunt, I run and continue to develop the sports scholarships at Downe House.

Please tell us about your sporting achievements: When I was younger I loved to play all sports including rugby, squash, netball and rounders. At school I played lacrosse for the West Midlands region however, as I entered Sixth Form I focused on playing squash. I have played for my university, county, region, and country. My most treasured achievements are reaching a ranking of number 1 in Great Britain and playing for England at the World Women’s Junior Championships in Chennai, India in 2009. After school, I received a scholarship to the University of Birmingham and went on to captain the women’s First Team for three years. We reached the British Universities and Colleges Sport National Finals every year.

What were your sporting ambitions for the future when you left school? To carry on playing at a top level throughout university and to develop women’s sport.

How have you developed your sports skills/talent since leaving school? I was very lucky to receive a huge amount of support through my sports scholarship at Birmingham University, both financially and with training and development. Being on the scholarship scheme at

university meant I learnt more about balancing training, competing, education and a social life. I was helped by the sports psychologist, physiotherapists and the strength and conditioning coaches to rehabilitate fully from a ruptured ACL and compete for my university again.

What is your training regime and how does it fit in with the other aspects of your life? I still compete at a senior county level for squash and would like to focus on playing more doubles competitions in the future. I try to exercise before school most days which can be anything from staff fitness to spinning to hill sprints. I am much better at training in the mornings than the evenings and I find it really prepares me for the day ahead!

What are your future plans/aspirations within sport?

To play on one of the iconic courts such as in Dubai (just for fun!) and compete more on the doubles circuit. I would love to see squash become an Olympic sport.

What is your most treasured personal sporting memory? Playing for my country at the U19 Squash World Championships in India and winning my first ever national tournament when I was just 11 years old.

Finally, please give us your words of advice for any aspiring elite/professional sportspeople: Always enjoy what you are doing, surround yourself with positive individuals and never ever see what you are doing as a sacrifice - it is amazing!

Surround yourself with positive individuals.

SQUASH

Don’t ever

Ellie Hillier

ALUMNA (DH2014) LACROSSE

Which sports do you participate in and at what level? Lacrosse has been my principal sport for a number of years and in that time I’ve competed at all levels - school, university, county, regional and international.

Please tell us about your sporting achievements to date: I’ve played lacrosse internationally since I was 15 when I was first selected to play for the England U19 Team. Selections at this junior level saw me compete in three U19 Home Internationals and tour both Canada and America before culminating in a Bronze medal at the U19 World Championships in 2015. Beating Australia to take the medal remains one of my most treasured memories.

Since then, I’ve joined the senior circuit and have just begun my third season in the Senior National Squad. Last year saw me gain my first senior international caps playing under my sister’s first senior captaincy - two sisters in the same team was pretty special. I have just finished four years playing for the University of Bristol and have joined Putney Lacrosse Club in London to keep playing regularly.

How did the staff, facilities and environment at Downe House help you develop within sport? My two lacrosse coaches at School were key drivers for my love of the game. Mrs Rayne was incredibly passionate about the sport and Mrs Gaunt was playing for Wales. They were both incredible coaches and I was very fortunate to have them the whole time I was there. It wasn’t just through the wide variety and depth of sport that the School supported me but also academically and pastorally, my teachers went above and beyond to ensure I was able to pursue lacrosse at a higher level as well as keeping up with my studies and I owe my place at university to them.

What were your sporting ambitions for the future when you left Downe House? My main focus was selection for the U19 World Championships – at the time of leaving School, we were a training squad of 45 that had to be cut to 18 to compete. I also headed straight to university so making an impact on the team was hugely important.

What is your most treasured sporting memory of School? Without a doubt, my final lacrosse season at School. We had a very special First Team squad who all became incredibly close and just loved playing together. It made for a great environment when we trained and I remember the whole season fondly – it was a great way to finish off lacrosse at Downe.

What are your future plans? I hope to keep playing lacrosse for as long as my body (or my career…) allows me. I’m looking forward to my first year playing club lacrosse and of course, continuing to train with the Senior England Team in preparations for Home Internationals and beyond.

LACROSSE

When you were at Downe House, what sports did you participate in? At School, I had to specialise in lacrosse fairly early on due to time commitments, however when I had the chance, I loved playing netball and squash as well as competing in athletics during the summer.

Finally, please give us your words of advice for any aspiring elite/ professional sportspeople: Don’t ever let fear of failure or missing selection stop you from going for something! You’ll never really know your potential until you have gone for it and if you prepare hard enough, leaving nothing to chance, you’ll get there.

Alessandra Tydeman

Which sports do you participate in and at what level?

I am a middle-distance runner for both my county club team and county school team. I sail a single handed dinghy and am in the UK RS Aero Youth Squad and at School, I am in the 1st Hockey Team, the Ski Team and was Captain of the U15 Cricket Team last year.

Please tell us about your sporting achievements to date, both in School and out? One of my most satisfying races was the National Cross Country Championships three years ago when I came 7th in the U13 age group. Last year, I came 4th in the 3km first leg of the South of England Team Road Relays and in the Hampshire Cross-Country Championships, I came 4th out of 37 on a 4.3km course. I represented Downe House at the Schools Ski Championships in Pila and came 16th for giant slalom and 21st for slalom in my first ever slalom race! In sailing, I represented GB in the RS Aero World Championships and although I didn’t do as well as I would have liked, it was a great achievement to be there!

How do the staff, facilities and environment at Downe House help you to develop within sport? As a Sports Exhibitioner, Downe House provides strength and conditioning sessions twice a week with a personalised programme to help prevent injury. I feel this environment enables me to focus on my academic work whilst training every day. What are your sporting ambitions for the future? I am working hard on my fitness so that I can do well in the crosscountry competitions this season and aim to improve my performance in the summer sailing competitions and hope

to go to the World Championships next year in Australia.

What is your most treasured sporting memory from School? My best memory is playing in the U15 Team with my year group and winning our match. I also absolutely loved winning the 1500m at Sports Day - it was a wonderful atmosphere with everyone cheering each other!

How have you developed in sport at Downe House?

The fitness training has made a big difference to my running. I have also felt so much less pressure to come first compared to my old school.

What outside clubs and/or competitions have you been involved in? I train at Newbury Athletics Club twice a week and race with Winchester Athletics and District Athletics Club. I am also a member of the Lymington Town Sailing Club.

Where in the UK or the world have your sporting activities taken you? I have run in competitions all over the UK. I plan to go to Australia next year for the RS Aero World Championships and I have skied in Whistler, Canada since I was four and been to Italy twice for competitions. Finally, please give us your words of advice for any new girls thinking of coming to Downe House: I think the important thing is to appreciate how much effort people are making for you, to try hard and have fun! Being able to enjoy taking part in sport is more important than winning and that’s what Downe House has made me realise.

Being able to enjoy taking part in sport is more important than winning.

HOCKEY

The inside track …

We field teams and arrange fixtures across sixteen different sports throughout the year.

Downe House is the school in the country with former Davis Cup and Fed Cup players as tennis coaches

300+

girls take tennis lessons each week

1st Lacrosse Team victorious at South West Schools Tournament 2019 smashing it 4-1 in the final

On average two thirds of the Upper School compete in team sports every match day

There is participation in match play at Junior level

100%

The School lies on a 110 acre estate, perfect for cross country routes of every distance

Every single girl takes part in at least one athletics event at our annual Sports Day

25 netball teams compete for the School, inspiring opportunities for pupils of every ability level to take part

Our swimmers are regularly ranked in the top ten nationally for school relays and biathlons

The Lacrosse First Team have been

WINNERS

of the Nationals four times this century and have always been placed in the top 10

The Equestrian Team competes at NSEA inter-school equestrian events at county, regional and national level

U18 and U15 West Berkshire 2019 League Winners and U13 and U12 West Berkshire 2019 Tournament Winners

The Ski Team participates annually with great success in the British Schoolgirls’ Races in Flaine

Sports Scholarship programme enables maximum performance potential with bespoke S&C programmes

Our U18 badminton team remains unbeaten since its creation

Almost 100 girls play squash at Downe

Feeling energetic?

There is everything on offer from touch rugby, badminton, volleyball, basketball, table tennis, quick cricket to indoor football, dodgeball, benchball and chookball, not forgetting Pilates, relaxation and stretching.

Meet the Team …